Cornerback Finalists

The list of 16 cornerback finalists for the NFL 100 All-Time Team was released earlier this week. The seven cornerbacks that make up the team will be revealed tonight. The running backs, defensive linemen, and linebackers have been revealed. I don't recall the finalists of those positions being released as a group so I have no idea why they did so with the corners. The safety and special team finalists have also been released but it's the deep quality of the 16 corners that's held my attention. When you're talking about the very best to have ever played, the very best among those that are honored in Canton you're talking about some very tough decisions. Whittling the following 16 cornerbacks down to seven is a really tough task.

Herb Adderley
Champ Bailey
Lem Barney
Mel Blount
Willie Brown
Darrell Green
Mike Haynes
Jimmy Johnson
Dick "Night Train" Lane
Patrick Peterson
Mel Renfro
Darrelle Revis
Deion Sanders
Aeneas Williams
Charles Woodson
Rod Woodson

In my opinion, the following are automatics for the seven that make the All-Time Team:

Dick "Night Train" Lane
Deion Sanders
Mel Blount

I don't think that I'm alone in thinking that the following two are right there with the above three.

Charles Woodson
Rod Woodson

Both Woodsons were so much fun to watch. Lane, Sanders, Blount and the Woodsons seemed to routinely make game-changing plays even while they were shutting down the receiver that they were guarding. Lane was ridiculous. He was a huge corner for his day. He'd be a huge corner now. In his day the rules of the game allowed him to fully take advantage of his size. The things that he did on the field would put him in jail today.

Two spots left. I like these players for those final two spots.

Willie Brown
Jimmy Johnson
Mike Haynes
Darrell Green
Darrelle Revis

As an itty-bitty football fan learning the game, Willie Brown and Jimmy Johnson were the first examples for me of how the cornerback position is supposed to be play.

Mike Haynes might still be the smoothest corner I've ever seen.

Darrell Green's speed, consistency, and longevity stand out. It wasn't until Randy Moss, after his 1998 rookie season, said that Green was the toughest corner that he had faced that I thought of him in a whole other light. Green was about 50 years old and a foot shorter than Moss.

Darrelle Revis' three-year run from 2009-11 might be better than any three years of any corner ever. He was still pretty darn good before and after that great three-year run.

It's a mighty tough choice but I'll go with these seven.

Dick "Night Train" Lane
Deion Sanders
Mel Blount
Charles Woodson
Rod Woodson
Mike Haynes
Darrelle Revis

Making decisions such as whittling 16 great corners down to seven are much easier when they are just one fan's opinion. The people making the decisions for the NFL 100 All-Time Team have it rough.